


In the Blink of an Eye

by feelingofthesea



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Auror Hermione Granger, Auror James Potter, Character Death, Death, F/M, First War with Voldemort, Flirting, Friendship, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:14:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24682141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feelingofthesea/pseuds/feelingofthesea
Summary: War is no place to fall in love.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/James Potter
Comments: 11
Kudos: 45
Collections: Before the Spring Snaps: The Classics





	In the Blink of an Eye

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [BTSS2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/BTSS2020) collection. 



> This was written for the Fairest of the Rare "Before the Spring Snaps" fest, my prompt was Antony and Cleopatra.
> 
> Endless thank yous and kisses to [mcal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcal/pseuds/mcal) for never ending support and assistance.
> 
> Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this creation.

The moment James entered her office as he arrived at MACUSA he knew he was fucked. Completely and utterly. Of course he’d heard the rumors, but he absolutely didn’t expect  _ that _ . There was only one way to say it, Hermione Granger was blindingly beautiful. Her skin was a light bronze, and the sinking sun that shone in through the window behind her covered her brown eyes in a soft golden glow. James had to suppress the desire to just reach out and let his fingers dance over her rosy cheek, to feel if her skin was as soft as it looked.

Mr. Potter, are you with me?" she asked, even as he gave a light shake of his head. Raking a hand through his hair, James' lips curled in an apologetic smile. A small sigh escaped from her perfect mouth. “I asked, if you read the reports I’d sent to you in advance.”

Bracing his elbows on her desk James leaned in closer. “Call me James, sweetheart and of course did I read the reports.”

Hermione completely ignored his attempts at flirting and acknowledged his conformation with a sharp nod before she shuffled through some files on her desk and began to explain the details of their mission, security matters, the timetable she prepared which they are supposed to follow and in James’ eyes she couldn’t have done it in a more boring way. His gaze traveled through her office, it was organized and by all means functional, only with a slightly personal touch. There were two frames with pictures on her desk but only the backside was visible from his position, on one of the cramped shelves stood a green plant that looked like it was forgotten regularly and there were books everywhere,  _ literally.  _

“That would be it Mr. Potter, I expect you tomorrow morning, on time.” Hermione stood to escort him to the door. She straightened the wrinkles in her skirt and James’ gaze might lingered a bit too long on her ass. 

He kissed her hand at the door, like the perfect English gentleman, mischief in his eyes. “I’ll be there, darling.”

“That’ll be Auror Granger for you Mr. Potter. Goodnight.”

  
  


***

Surprisingly they actually made a good team. It took James nothing more than five minutes of working with her to realize Hermione Granger’s beauty was only outnumbered by her intellect. Even knowing her only for a short amount of time he would trust her with his life.

James had been sent to America to recruit an old friend of Dumbledore as the situation in England got worse. Voldemort was clearly rising and the number of known Death Eaters doubled since the winter slowly turned into spring. Yet James couldn’t find it in him to be too worried that recruiting said old friends took longer than they’d assumed. 

Hermione raised her hand and signaled him to stop. They were walking down a small dark alley. There had been another tip, where Mr. Hobart, Dumbledore's old friend, could be found. The old cobblestone road already made it hard to be as quiet as possible, but the houses being built wall to wall made it impossible to hide. Two dark figures approached the pair of them rapidly and James made his decision in a split second. He took a step into her space, grabbed her elbow and backed her against the nearest wall. 

“What in Merlin’s name are you doing?” Hermione's voice was barely more than a hiss. James brought his palm to rest against the bricks, next to her head, leaning in, so close, that his lips nearly touched her ear as he spoke. 

“Making sure we don’t look suspicious sweetheart. Trust me?” 

He didn’t leave any time for her to figure out if it was meant as a question or statement and brushed his lips against hers. Featherlight at first and as she didn’t immediately hit him, with more pressure. 

For three heartbeats, four,  _ five, _ Hermione didn’t move at all, then she kissed him back. 

Her shyness didn’t last long, James brought his other hand to cradle her cheek and finally,  _ finally _ felt that her skin indeed was so soft. His tongue traced her lower lip and he could feel her tremble. Eyes long closed James only felt how she stole her fingers under his shirt. He sucked in a harsh breath as her fingertips explored his abdomen. The contact felt like electricity was cursing through his whole body, his heart beating an erratic cadence against his rips. 

It could have been a moment that they stood in this dark ally kissing or an eternity. They broke the kiss desperate for air, the two strangers that initiated the intimacy long forgotten. 

  
  


***

Neither of them spoke about the incident in the dark from three nights prior, but James could feel that something changed. Where Hermione had acted like he wasn’t flirting at all with her, she didn’t anymore. The smallest compliment made her blush, left a faint pink on her delicate cleavage and James would swear that as they spent the entire evening in the office catching up on reports and stuff, he caught her staring at him. She bit her lip as their eyes met and James could feel how heat spread through his body.  _ Fuck _ . She was so going to be the death of him. 

The floo roared to life and the moment was gone. The head of a man James had never seen before appeared in the flames and addressed Hermione.

“Auror Granger, I’m here to inform you that Mr. Potter is scheduled for an emergency portkey back home in precisely ten minutes.” Before either of them had the chance to say anything at all the man was gone in a rush of green flames.

A nervous, uneasy feeling settled in James’ stomach. “Something really bad must have happened for them to order me back so abruptly. I’m sorry we have to reschedule our date, sweetheart.” His normal cockiness fell flat this time and the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth didn’t reach his eyes.

For the blink of an eye there was silence that was all too loud, then Hermione’s lips crashed against his. Her fingers tangled in the hair at the base of his nape, her whole body pressed against his. James returned her kiss with matching urgency, pulled her even closer. As sudden as it started their kiss came to an end.

“If you make it out of this, I’m going on a real date with you.”

  
  


***

There was hectic and charged energy busting everywhere when James arrived at headquarters. Two hours ago,  _ only two hours _ , he left Hermione in America and if he closed his eyes for a second he could still feel her lingering kiss.  _ If you make it out of this, I’m going on a real _

_ date with you. _

“Where the fuck have you been Potter?”

James ran his hand over his face and took a deep breath, two, just in case.

“I’ve been on a mission, Snievelus, they don’t tell you everything you know? There are people who are more important than you are.”

“Dumbledore wants to see us, now.” Without another word Snape stormed from out of the room, anger radiating from his whole presence. 

There was still a quite tense atmosphere when James entered Dumbledore’s office. He dropped himself on the chair that was the farthest from Snape and eyed their former headmaster expectand. 

“No. Not a chance. I’m not going on a mission with this arrogant git.” Despite Snape’s fury Dumbledore stayed as calm as ever. The tips of his fingers rested against each other and he surveyed them through his piercing blue eyes. 

Of course they went one the mission. Riddles regim got more utopic with every day and James had to admit that it could be an advance for their side that fucking Snape knew some places better than others did. It was just bad luck that he was the only skilled enough Auror to be his back up. 

They were hiding behind a small hutch, the sun began to set maybe half an hour ago and James inevitably had to think about the dark alley. Hermione had been so much more pleasing as a partner then old Snievelus and observing could be so really fucking boring. He shifted from one foot to the other, staying as quiet as possible. Making sure Snape's eyes were indeed focused on the object in question he pulled the picture of Hermione, he copied from one of the frames on her desk, out of his inner robe pockets.  _ If you make it out of this, I’m going on a real date with you.  _ James was so caught up in memories for the smallest moment, that he didn’t realize the second set of eyes suddenly studying Hermione’s picture. 

Surprisingly they didn’t fuck up their task and made it back to headquarters successfully. Just to be hit with news even worse than the last one. The anti muggle born laws had reached a new peak, which meant they had to marry into a pureblood family and get their ancestry erased or they would end up in Azkaban. Snape muttered something about Lilly and basically flead the room leaving James to finish their report.

_ Fuck. Lilly. _

It was so easy to forget that she was actually Muggle-born. She did everything magic with such ease that there was no doubt she’d been born for it. Thoughts of Lilly and Hermione fought for dominance on his mind and if somebody would have asked James later how he made it through the meeting, he couldn’t have come up with an answer. 

Releasing a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, James got up the instance Dumbledore dismissed them. His heart aching for what his mind had decided on he searched for Lilly, growing more frantic the longer it took to find her.

Finally he caught a glimpse of her beautiful red hair, nearly hidden around the corner on the back porch. Her gaze met his as a cracking wooden blank gave him away. Eyes rimmed red, there was still the faintest shimmer of tried tears on her cheeks. James took a few steps more in her direction, before he lowered himself on one knee. He could clearly see how surprise and maybe shock appeared on Lilly’s features.

“I don’t have a ring and all that, because this is on rather short notice, as you know.” James paused, his lips curling in a crooked smile and his voice slightly hoarse, “Marry me Evans?”

Lilly audibly gasped for air and James’ heart shattered in a thousand pieces.  _ Forgive me Hermione, she’s been at my side forever and I can’t let her down. _

“You are crazy James Potter!” Lily's eyes once again welled with tears. “Are you serious?” 

“As I will ever be.”

James couldn’t sleep that night. He tossed and turned until at some point he stuffed some essentials in a bag and walked through the ministry's doors the moment they opened. The wedding ceremony was going to be in two days, if he was going to do this, then he was doing it right. Leaving those assholes room to fuck everything up was simply not in the cards.

James flashed his Auror license at the portkey official, demanding a portkey to New York,  _ right now _ , not caring at all about the consequences.

Fifteen minutes later he stormed through the MACUSA building making his way to Hermione's office. She was startled behind her desk as he burst through the door without knocking.

“Mr. Potter?!”

Her voice and formalities eased his nerves immediately. “Didn’t I tell you to call me James, sweetheart?”

With two long strides he was next to her, wrapped her in a tight embrace and slanted his lips over hers. Relentless. A breathy moan escaped her lips, barely audible and James gently nudged his knee between her thighs. She felt like heaven and hell and he was going to burn this moment into his memories to savour it in the future when the only thing he would have of her are glimpses of the past. 

Fate wasn’t one his side. James had barely had time to tell Hermione about the turn of events, interrupted by moments of desperate passion, before he was ordered back yet again. He could still feel her lips burning against his, angry, unstoppable and so intoxicating, as he grabbed the portkey and was whisked away within seconds. 

  
  


***

The following days were nothin but a blur of events. James Potter married Lily Evans on a, for London typical, rainy Wednesday afternoon, the battles grew more and more heavy and there were badly injured on a daily basis now.

It happened as they prepared to scout an abandoned building they had information belonged to Death Eaters. A huge Owl dropped a letter in front of James before it left through the window again. His heartbeat sped up as he recognized Hermione’s penmanship.

_ Dear James, _

_ I am writing this letter to let you know that I let you free. I know I said I’ll go on a proper date with you if you make it out of this, but I realized that is not fair. You have a life of your own and responsibilities and when this letter reaches you, you’ll probably be a married man. I will forever keep our time in New York in my heart, but I let you go. _

_ With endless Love, _

_ Hermione _

James angrly swiped a lonely tear from the corner of his eyes and completely ignored Sirius’ “You okay mate?” as he fastened his robes and marched out of the door.

To absolutely no one's surprise at all the building wasn’t as abandoned as it seemed. They were met with wand fire as soon as they came out of hiding. It would have been hard to duck away from all the curses, even if it was somebody completely focused, but James being somewhere entirely different with his thoughts never stood a chance. The moment he saw the yellow string of light it was already too late and the curse hit him right in the chest with an unstoppable force. 

  
  


***

His sight was more than a bit blurred and his head felt like it was about to explode. Hushed voices filled the air and James could feel soft leinen on his bare arms. He struggled sitting up but tried it anyway. 

“Hey cowboy, take it slow, we only got you out there within an inch of your life. Lily is getting your girl.”

Confused James tried to ask what Sirius was talking about, but his voice broke. Sirius got it anyway and a small smirk appeared on his lips. 

“Severus told her about the Auror you were seeing in the states and wanted to make her jealous, I guess. He still fancies her if you ask me. Didn’t work though, Lily did everything to get her here. We thought you were dying…”

Sirius trailed off, clearly indicating that he still thought so, but before James had the time to find his voice and answer the door to the infirmary burst open and seconds later his view was blocked by a head of unruly curls. James buried his head in the crook of Hermione’s neck and deeply inhaled her scent. He didn’t know how long she held onto him but it felt like a lifetime itself. 

James only listened half heartedly as Hermione went on about some ancient ritual that could save his life, lost in the feeling of her skin against his. They were alone in the room and he didn’t deny her as she asked his permittance to perform the spells connected to the ritual. He was so tired and having her beside him allowed his soul to rest. 

Not even an hour later they laid together, tangled up on the hospital bed, none of them breathing. Their desire to stay together had been stronger than the will to live in the end and in the blink of an eye the ritual of loving souls took two of them to a place where they could rest in peace together. Forever. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, it means the world to me!
> 
> I can be found on [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/feelingofthesea).


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